How to Make a Great Cup of Tea

How do you like your tea? Black, white ... or green? The average British tea drinker will choose "white", meaning he likes milk in his tea. Black tea is commonly understood to mean tea drunk without the addition of milk. And, as we all know, green tea is the stuff revellers drink on St Patrick's Day.

And then there is the truth.

"White tea" in the everyday meaning of the term is actually Black Tea; black tea with milk in it perhaps. Black Tea, White Tea and Green Tea are all preparations of the same generic plant. Green tea is simply dried. Black tea is dried and then "fermented" (actually it is oxidized rather than fermented). White tea is dried but not fermented, but is made from tea leaves that have been shielded from sunlight to inhibit the production of chlorophyll.

White tea is common in China but relatively unknown in the west. Black tea is by far the most common variety but green tea is gaining ground due to its reputed health benefits. Most teas are blended. Varieties from different regions are combined to enable consistent flavour to be achieved.

Unfortunately, tea is often prepared very badly in Canada. A common method comprises suspending a teabag in a cup of hot water. Often, the teabag remains in the cup and further hot water is added to refill the cup. Perpetrators of this method should themselves be suspended in hot water until they renounce the practice.

The most important ingredient of a good cup of tea is water that is boiling (this means water that is at a temperature of 100 degress Celsius at the moment it comes into contact with the tea leaves). Even the most modest blend will yield its best flavour on contact with boiling water.

The second most important ingredient is then, not surprisingly, the tea itself. Many tea experts believe the best quality teas are sold as loose tea, confirming our worst fears that the 1908 American invention, the teabag, conceals inferior contents. Unfortunately loose tea is less convenient than teabags; the spent tea is less easily discarded than spent teabags. Loose tea leaves must usually be separated from the water in which they are steeped. Some tea drinkers do not concern themselves with this and leave the tea leaves right in the cup.

I have found the French Press - usually associated with the preparation of coffee - to be an ideal vessel in which to prepare tea. I recommend this process: use a teasponful of good quality loose tea of your choosing for each cup and add it to a dry French Press. Pour boiling water over the tea and allow to steep for at least 3 minutes before pushing down the plunger to separate the tea leaves.

Experiment with the quantity of tea and steeping time until you find the strength and flavour that suits you.